


Make the Season Bright

by Barb Cummings (Rahirah)



Series: The Barbverse [77]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 13:32:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4181673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahirah/pseuds/Barb%20Cummings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Summers-Pratt Christmas circa 2014.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make the Season Bright

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in the same universe as "Raising In the Sun," "Necessary Evils," and "A Parliament of Monsters." It contains spoilers for previous stories in the series.

"You're sure, Mrs. Thurman? Sharon loves skating so - of course, I understand. Maybe next summer. Goodbye." 

Buffy sighed as she set the phone down and hitched Alex to a more comfortable spot on her hip. Another student gone. The recession had hit California hard, and skating lessons were the first thing on the budgetary chopping block. At least the other family business was scraping along, if barely - wizards, it seemed, were still unwilling to forego their eye of Scrovulax, no matter how much Spike jacked up the prices on demon parts. And a good thing, too, or... 

Alex blinked big hazel eyes up at her and chewed on his fingers. Sigh redux. "I'm so glad you're too young to have any expectations," Buffy murmured. 

In the kitchen Spike was inducting the two older kids into the mysteries of chestnut roasting, and in the living room Boris Karloff was declaring that Christmas had come without packages, boxes, or bags. Boris was right, Buffy decided. She wasn't going to let this get her down. The tree might be small and scruffy this year, and the presents awfully thin upon the floor beneath it, but there was a tree, and there were presents. What really mattered was the spirit of loving and giving and... 

"...so the brilliant thing about chestnuts,"Spike was saying as he sliced an expert cross in a glossy brown hull with his skinning knife, "is that when you peel 'em, they look exactly like little brains, and you can pretend you're cracking open the skulls of your enemies." 

Bill's eyes flashed yellow approval, and Connie caroled, "Mommy! Come help! We're roasting _brain nuts!"_

...and OK, the 'loving and giving' concept sometimes needed a little tweaking when you lived with vampires, but... 

"Want to have a go, love?" With a hopeful smile, Spike held out the knife and a handful of chestnuts. 

"Yeah, sure." She handed off Alex in exchange for the knife. Totally not pretending that Spike was handing her half a dozen Mrs. Thurman skulls. "Who doesn't love brain nuts for Christmas?"

...after all, it's the thought that counts. 

**End**


End file.
